diff --git a/combo/apps/search/models.py b/combo/apps/search/models.py
index fc4aecf2..c06147ff 100644
--- a/combo/apps/search/models.py
+++ b/combo/apps/search/models.py
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@
 # You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
 # along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
+import os
+
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.utils.translation import ugettext_lazy as _
 from django import template
@@ -24,6 +26,7 @@ from django.utils.http import quote
 from django.template import Context, Template
 
 from jsonfield import JSONField
+from haystack import connections
 
 from combo.utils import requests
 from combo.data.models import CellBase
@@ -36,6 +39,7 @@ from . import engines
 @register_cell_class
 class SearchCell(CellBase):
     template_name = 'combo/search-cell.html'
+    manager_form_template = 'combo/manager/search-cell-form.html'
 
     _search_services = JSONField(_('Search Services'), default=dict, blank=True)
 
@@ -166,3 +170,9 @@ class SearchCell(CellBase):
                 for k, v in hit_templates.items():
                     hit[k] = v.render(Context(hit))
         return render_response(service, results)
+
+    def has_text_search_service(self):
+        return '_text' in self._search_services.get('data', [])
+
+    def missing_index(self):
+        return not os.path.exists(connections['default'].get_backend().path)
diff --git a/combo/apps/search/templates/combo/manager/search-cell-form.html b/combo/apps/search/templates/combo/manager/search-cell-form.html
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8e71fb39
--- /dev/null
+++ b/combo/apps/search/templates/combo/manager/search-cell-form.html
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+{% extends "combo/cell_form.html" %}
+{% load i18n %}
+
+{% block cell-form %}
+{% if cell.has_text_search_service and cell.missing_index %}
+<div class="infonotice">
+  <p>
+  {% blocktrans %}
+  Content indexing has been scheduled and should happen within an hour; search
+  results will then be available.
+  {% endblocktrans %}
+  </p>
+</div>
+{% endif %}
+{{ block.super }}
+{% endblock %}
diff --git a/tests/test_search.py b/tests/test_search.py
index 005755cc..987cb393 100644
--- a/tests/test_search.py
+++ b/tests/test_search.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import json
 import os
 import pytest
 import re
+import shutil
 import mock
 
 from django.conf import settings
@@ -376,6 +377,41 @@ def test_manager_search_cell(app, admin_user):
         assert resp.form['c%s-_search_services' % cells[0].get_reference()].value == ['_text']
 
 
+def test_manager_waiting_index_message(app, admin_user):
+    from haystack import connections
+    shutil.rmtree(connections['default'].get_backend().path)
+
+    Page.objects.all().delete()
+    page = Page(title='One', slug='one', template_name='standard')
+    page.save()
+    app = login(app)
+    resp = app.get('/manage/pages/%s/' % page.id)
+    resp = app.get(resp.html.find('option',
+                   **{'data-add-url': re.compile('search_searchcell')})['data-add-url'])
+    resp = resp.follow()
+    assert 'Content indexing has been scheduled' not in resp.text
+
+    cells = Page.objects.get(id=page.id).get_cells()
+    resp.form['c%s-_search_services' % cells[0].get_reference()] = ['_text']
+    resp = resp.form.submit().follow()
+    assert 'Content indexing has been scheduled' in resp.text
+
+    call_command('update_index')
+    resp = app.get('/manage/pages/%s/' % page.id)
+    assert 'Content indexing has been scheduled' not in resp.text
+
+
+def test_manager_search_cell(app, admin_user):
+    Page.objects.all().delete()
+    page = Page(title='One', slug='one', template_name='standard')
+    page.save()
+    app = login(app)
+    resp = app.get('/manage/pages/%s/' % page.id)
+    resp = app.get(resp.html.find('option',
+                   **{'data-add-url': re.compile('search_searchcell')})['data-add-url'])
+
+
+
 def test_wcs_search_engines(app):
     with override_settings(KNOWN_SERVICES={}):
         search_engines = engines.get_engines()